


Ring a Ding

by nyny17



Category: The Mindy Project
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:33:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4225497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyny17/pseuds/nyny17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens after season 3 finale?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ring a Ding

**Author's Note:**

> I think the reason there hasn't been a lot of fic is because we're getting everything we want from Mindy and the writers. Season 4, where are you?

"Oh honey, he loves you so much,” her mom reassures her during their Skype call after Mindy’s parents dropped Danny at the airport. 

"Mom, he left me again. He said he doesn’t want to marry me. He won’t marry me. The woman he says he loves. The mother of his child. I’m not important enough for that!” Mindy frustratedly bellows. It’s been 3 days since Danny and her parents called her from India to let her know that that is where he was. She was worried out of her mind, that she may never see him again, that he left for good this time, that she pushed him away with her desire for marriage. But no, he traveled half a world away to go talk to her parents. What did they talk about? Why would he go there when he wouldn’t go to Boston with her? What would that accomplish if he didn’t want to get married? Why didn’t he just talk to HER? 

"Sweetie, he’s scared. But I think he’s figuring things out. All he talks about is you and your life together. How you make his life crazy but in a good way. I think the way I make your father crazy! Mindy, I wouldn’t want you to be with someone who I thought didn’t respect and love you, or who wouldn’t treat you well or kind. Danny’s scared, but he’s getting there. He’s building up to it. He’s learning to rely on himself so that he can be there for your and your son,” her mom assures. "He also sweats. A lot. I mean, he may want to get that checked out when he gets back because it didn’t seem normal, Mindy.” 

Mindy laughs but continues to chat with her mother, to bide the time until Danny returns. Mindy listens thoughtfully but her face clouded in doubt. She’s hopeful, but she’s had her hopes dashed by Danny too often: about moving in, leaving stuff at his place, being considered part of his family, coming before his mother, even when she just wanted to be acknowledged as his girlfriend. She’s hopeful, but hope does run out...

\---------------------------------

 

Mindy is on the couch when she hears the key in the lock. She looks towards the door, with fear and hope, holding her breath. Danny enters the apartment with his belongings. He searches the room and their eyes meet. Danny lets go of his suitcase and jacket and makes his way to her and takes her face in his hands. He looks at her searching her eyes with his. She nods and leans in. His lips meet hers in a sweet, soft, chaste kiss. And again and again and again. He pulls back, looks into her eyes, and emphatically tells her, "I'm sorry.” 

Mindy looks down, unable to keep eye contact not knowing where this conversation is going to go. 

“I had to go and meet them. I had to show you and them that I am all in. I had to,” he begins. They sit together in moments of silence. Danny continues, "They’re us Mindy. Your mom is loud, bossy with only good intentions and she is full of life. Your dad gives her a hard time, but he slyly gave me the look that he knew what he was doing. They kissed. They held hands. They playfully argued about everything they did, but they were happy to be doing it together. You could see in their eyes, the love, trust, and joy and they feel for each other. It was beautiful. And seeing them just made to me see that THAT is what you want. What we have but with the security of knowing your my person I'm going to fight with and love until we die." 

She nods as a sad smile spreads across her face.

Danny continues, "I want that too."

Mindy looked at him surprised but hopeful as his forehead wrinkles questioningly. 

“You know that’s what i want right, Min?” Danny responds short of breath in almost a whisper, desperately and finally realizing now where her insecurities lie.

Mindy’s frustration with everything this marriage debacle has endured bubbles over. "You said you didn’t want to marry me. What that says to me is that you aren’t committed. You’ve left me twice Danny. I have been in love with you for years. YEARS. And when you kissed me on that plane, I was already all in. When you broke up with me “before things got serious”? I was already planning our life together. I loved you and needed you and wanted you. And you left me. And when I find out that you’re not in Austin at Peter’s wedding and don’t know where you are? What was I supposed to think? You got spooked again and left! That’s what!” 

Mindy catches her breath and continues, more softly, "Because you don’t tell me what you’re feeling or what you want. Do you not see why I think marriage is important? It’s a commitment to each other FOREVER. I want forever with you Danny. It’s what I’ve always wanted and what I thought we were headed for. And then you tell me that you don’t want that? What else was I supposed to think?"

Defensively Danny responds. "Mindy, I bought a townhouse for us. A home. For us. Our family. Forever."

"Or until you get scared again," she challenges. 

"No, Mindy. Talking to your dad, he made me realize that while I said I was all in, my actions weren't matching those words. And that’s where our disconnect is. I’m ALL in. But I didn’t think marriage was something we needed for that to happen."

"Danny, I know your divorce is something that crushed you. I know you blame yourself for it falling apart and that it’s failure is what causes you to have all these doubts. But Danny, I want you. With all your faults and quirks. I’m not going to leave you because you’re old and crotchety and don’t want to try everything I want to do, or because you don’t want to plan themed parties for every holiday including Arbour Day. I told you the day after we got back from LA that you had my heart. You do. You have it and your name is all over it, for better or for worse. I want you you and only you to grow old with, since you’re already there to show me the way,” she smirks.

"I want to go to bed with you every night even if it’s before 10:00 and wake up with you every morning even if it’s at the crack of dawn. I want to have you cook me dinner every night and me to finally get your wardrobe up to my standards, and I even want to go to Christmas Mass with you every year, and celebrate your mom and Annette’s birthdays with you. As a FAMILY. And to me that means committing to each other. Being married. Like my parents. Who love each other and and want to be together wherever they are: India, Boston, or living with us in 5 years,” Mindy threatens. 

At which Danny gives her a bemused look but looks at her deeply in the eyes and tells her, “That’s exactly what I want too.” 

They sat there, eyes locked, short of breath and with fear and love and hope in their eyes. 

Danny weaves his fingers through Mindy’s, squeezes and says, “That’s what I want Min. I want forever with you. I want to be like your parents. I want to know that you’re not going to leave and I want you to know that I will NEVER leave you again. I want this little one to have both of us harassing him for as long as we live, and to give him 10 brothers and sisters."

Mindy’s eyes fill with tears and she shakes her head. “I don’t want you to marry me because I want it. I can’t do that. That’s the start of something that’s already broken. Don’t give me what I want, just to make me happy because it won’t make me happy, it will only patch things over until you can’t take it anymore."

"Do you know what I thought about on the flight home, Mindy? You and me and our son and your parents and Ma all together for Thanksgiving or Christmas or your birthday or our son's birthday. I thought about us moving into our townhouse and setting up our life together there. It’s all that I want. You’re all I want. You and me together forever. I’m going to marry you Mindy Lahiri and when I do I’m not letting you go ever again.”

The silence held as their eyes locked on each other for more than a few seconds. Mindy looked down at their joined hands. Relief, hope, love, and joy filled her heart. As she squeezes Danny’s hand and looks back up to meet his eyes once again, both of their eyes brimming with tears, she utters, “You better not even consider proposing to me until I can fit into my little black dress again.” 

Danny looks shocked, then laughs, “What? You don’t want to be married before our son is born? I thought that’s what you needed?”

"No, you do-do! What I need is to get rid of this baby weight before I can have engagement photos or start shopping for wedding dresses! Are you kidding me with this?" she cries. "THINK OF THE PICTURES! They will be on our mantle forever. I can’t have baby weight in my wedding pictures! By the way, where is the food that I know my mother sent back with you?"

Danny shakes his head. This crazy woman he loves wants only to get married and now that he’s on board, she’s telling him not to propose? Oh no, he thinks as gets up and heads to his suitcase to grab the package from her mother. As he walks away he murmurs forcefully, “I’ll propose whenever I damn well, please.”

"Exsqueeze me?" Mindy bellows as she can his mutterings from the couch. "Daniel Alan Casetellano. There will be NO proposing until the baby weight is gone. No proposal until there is a real live baby in this apartment. Until after his Christening. Until Annette has already called me a terrible mother 10 times. Until Morgan has coerced us into babysitting. Until Beverly has tried to kidnap this kid. No. No. NO!” she says sounding like a terrible two. "NO PROPOSAL."

Danny, walks back towards Mindy with the box in hand, a smirk on his face, and laughter in his heart. “No way, Jose. We’re working on Danny time now, not Mindy time.”

Mindy is happily incredulous, “This whole relationship has been on Danny time! It’s Mindy time! It’s all about Mindy! Mindy is in control now! Listen to Mindy!” she exclaims frantically and gets more excitedly worked up when she sees him continue to laugh like he hasn’t a care in the world and he’s happier than he’s ever been. 

Turning serious and touching her cheek as he hands her the food, he replies, "I’ve been listening to you for years Mindy. But I think I’ve finally heard you. I’m sorry for ever letting you think that you aren’t the woman who is now fulfilling all my dreams or that you weren’t good enough to make a life with. You’re everything I never knew I wanted. And you WILL have a ring on your finger much sooner than you think!” He kisses her angry, shocked, and tearful face from his beautiful words face and he starts to walk towards the bedroom to change. 

Mindy collects herself and yells, “I may be wearing my class ring! Or the Lord of the Ring! Or a candy ring! Or an Olympic ring! But not an engagement ring!” He turns and meets her eyes and laughs as he’s walking away. She continues, “Danny! Listen to me! I may WATCH The Ring, and I have been in a boxing ring, but I will NOT be wearing an engagement ring before this baby arrives!” 

Danny sticks his head out from the bedroom in the midst of changing with his shirt off and says, “Mindy Kuhel Lahiri, I will propose to you whenever I want.” 

She seethes, “No you're not, Danny! When I'm in skinny jeans again then we can talk!"

He then starts to whistle, and she can’t place the song at first. She continues to listen. Wait. It can’t be. What is he thinking!? She’s going to kill him! 

“Doo, doo, do doo. Doo doo do dooooo.” he hums as he saunters from the bedroom to living room dropping a blanket on her lap as he offers to make them dinner. 

Mindy looks on incredulously watching his every move. He’s relaxed, at ease. Happy. Sashaying around the kitchen quickly preparing something mouth watering for them to eat. 

Mindy moves her hand over her protruding belly, leans back, as a smile creeps across her face. 

Happy.


End file.
